"Originally I felt it was a disadvantage to have a liberal arts degree entering into economics, but now I feel like I have a broader perspective because I had to study so many different kinds of things."

About Ippei Shibata

The Faculty Sincerely Cares

"The faculty members care about individual human beings. They don’t simply teach to earn a salary; they really care about their students. In graduate school at NYU, I was having a difficult time in a math course and e-mailed a professor at Soka. He replied with so much encouragement that I stayed in that class and succeeded."

Facing Reality Abroad

"For my study abroad experience, I went to China, to a place where there was a massacre during World War II. I thought that people there would be hostile to a Japanese person and I wanted to improve relations. I wanted to face that reality. Surprisingly, they were really open and shared memories of relatives, speaking with tears in their eyes. They told me they don’t blame us for what happened, but the youth have the responsibility to create a more peaceful society. That is something I will always carry with me."

Soka is My Second Home

"Soka is such a big part of my life, it is like my second home. I feel like I was reborn at Soka. Most of who I am today was formed there, including my attitude toward life. Every time I have a big accomplishment in my life, I talk to the faculty members and they are so happy – they are like my parents. My friends from Soka are family that I always feel at home with."

Creating Positive Change

"Talking about change on a global scale sounds really big, but I see every single individual awakening to the mission to do something in their life for others. Now many people are rising to make a difference. The more you care about people around you, the more you inspire others to do so. We are creating positive change."